As such types of yarns, use of metal yarn (wire) alone for armors or the like has formerly been popular especially in Europe. In recent years, to make such yarn lightweight and to improve the workability and strength, various kinds of composite yarns comprising metal yarn in combination with cotton yarn and high strength filaments have been proposed.
For example, a core-sheath composite yarn produced by winding a synthetic fiber and thus covering a core comprising a high strength yarn and a wire with the synthetic fiber is proposed, and as an example, a glove obtained by knitting a core-sheath composite yarn produced by wrapping a nylon fiber in upper and lower double layers around a core comprising a 3,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether copolymer-polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fiber and a stainless wire is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-239104.
Also, a composite spun yarn having a core-sheath structure produced by covering a core part of a single wire of a metal yarn, a filament yarn, or a spun yarn with a staple of an aromatic polyamide fiber is proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-303138.
Also, a cut-resistant glove formed of a composite yarn comprising a fiber having a high strength and a high modulus of elasticity, and a metal thin wire in the surface and a bulky yarn or a natural fiber in the back face is proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-178812.
Further, a cut-resistant composite yarn comprising a glass fiber as a core part and a polyethylene fiber or aramid fiber as a sheath part, and further a covering fiber of a non-metallic and non-high performance fiber such as a polyester, nylon, or the like wrapped in mutually opposite directions is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,251.
Further, a cut-resistant fiber produced by wrapping a polyester fibers in opposite directions around a core part composed of a stainless steel wire and an anti-microbial treated acetate type fiber and an apparel such as a glove produced from the fiber are proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,951.
Furthermore, a cut-resistant composite yarn comprising a core part composed of a strand of wire and an extended chain polyethylene fiber being positioned parallel to each other, wrapped around the core with double layer-covering strands in mutually opposite directions, in which an aramid fiber is not used, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,907.
However, although having cut resistance, the above-mentioned conventional composite yarns are inferior in moisture absorption properties and also inferior in knitting processability, for example, since the stainless wire and the glass fiber are sometimes ruptured in the case of producing gloves by knitting the composite yarns and gloves produced by knitting the composite yarns give an uncomfortable putting-on-feeling or use feeling, and particularly, the ruptured stainless wire and glass fiber irritate the skin, and therefore, the workability in the case when the gloves are put on is not satisfactory. Especially, there is a serious problem that the stainless wire and glass fiber used as cores are exposed to the outside of the composite yarns and irritate hands and fingers by pricking them.
In light of the foregoing situation, the present invention provides a composite yarn having an excellent knitting processability as well as a good moisture adsorption properties, and further provides a cut-resistant glove formed of the composite yarn, which is excellent not only in elastic properties and moisture absorption properties, but also in wearing or use feeling and workability at the time the glove is put on.